Sunday, 17 March, 2002
Church Attack in Pakistan Kills Five, Wounds 45
VOA
News 17
Mar 2002
 
Pakistani President
Pervez Musharraf has ordered police to find those responsible for Sunday's
grenade attack on a church in Islamabad's diplomatic quarter that killed five
people and wounded 45.
The dead include an
American diplomat's wife, his 17-year-old daughter, an Afghan, a Pakistani, and
a fifth unidentified victim. The wounded include seven Iranians, an Iraqi, and
Ethiopian, and the Sri Lankan ambassador to Pakistan.
General Musharraf
calls the attack a ghastly act of terrorism aimed at sabotaging Pakistan's
national interests.
An outraged President
Bush condemned what he calls an act of murder that cannot be tolerated or
justified.
There has been no
claim of responsibility. But Pakistani authorities are blaming Islamic
militants who oppose the U.S.-led war on terrorism and Pakistan's crackdown on
religious extremists.
The Protestant
International Church is located in a heavily guarded section of Islamabad,
about 300 meters from the U.S. embassy. It was packed with worshippers when
witnesses say a man ran in and hurled up to six grenades. It is unclear if he
escaped or was killed in the blasts.
Religious violence
between majority Sunni and minority Shiite Muslim militants has increased in
Pakistan in the past week, but attacks against religious minorities are
rare.
Some information
for this report provided by AP and AFP.
Email this article to a friend.
Printer Friendly Version
|